Standby Power Stats at a Glance
What do microwave ovens, garage door openers, and cable boxes have in common? They are just a few of the appliances found in most homes that use standby power (the power consumed by an appliance during the lowest possible electricity consuming mode). The question is, can you guess where common household items fall in the range of standby power consumption? If not, you're in luck. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy, has done the work for you. (Note that the minimum value in LBNL's database is represented by the left portion of the bar, the maximum value by the right portion of the bar, and the average by the vertical line within the bar.)
50.5 Cents Per Mile
Effective Jan. 1, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service has announced a new standard mileage rate of 50.5 cents per mile to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use. The new business rate is an increase from the current rate of 48.5 cents per mile.
Source: American Subcontractor's Association, Alexandria, Va.
82%
Percentage of readers in a recent online poll of The Daily Reporter, based in Milwaukee, that overwhelmingly believe the State of Wisconsin building code should require arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). Although AFCIs have been required by the National Electrical Code for the past several years, Wisconsin is one of a handful of states yet to include some form of AFCI requirement into its state building code.
